The F&A Story (Annie's Games)
by CHM13
Summary: Finnick and Annie hate each other. They don't think that will change, but when Finnick returns home as victor of The Hunger Games, he is treated as a hero by everyone except Annie. Five years later, Annie is selected as the female tribute in the Hunger Games. Finnick and Annie through from just before the reaping for Annie. ! Both POV of Annie AND Finnick. (HIATUS!)
1. Chapter 1

The Finnick + Annie Story

By Cesca Herondale Morgenstern 13

October 2012- 2012-10-26

-Finnick and Annie

[Finnick POV]

I look up at the place where soon two of the districts children are going to be sent away, to fight to the death. This place is where my life changed. Forever. I had to kill people. For the Capitol's pleasure. Sure, they say it's punishment for the rebellion more than 65 years ago. I only won the games a few years ago. I'm still fresh in the people's minds. The pain is still recent too. The pain of killing other people, it destroys you. Ruins human life for you. Makes you question everything. And everyone. Five years ago I stood down there, and had my name drawn from the reaping balls. And now another pair of tributes will face the same fate. I know these faces though, and they know me. I don't know how I'll cope with it this year. More and more of my old friends, my family are being entered, and the only thing I can't stop, is if they are reaped, and no one volunteers, they will have to face the Games. It could be anyone. Anyone of them could have their name drawn. And if it's not one of them, I still have to mentor the two tributes and get them sponsors. I'm barely even nineteen, and these two people are relying on me to keep them alive, to help them survive. I'm not good at this though. Last year, the tributes barely made it through the Cornucopia fight. It's not their fault though. The sponsors, they purposely make promises and break them. It's like they don't want them to have a chance, like D4 doesn't deserve a winner. Like they don't want to let go of me being the latest D4 victor. It's sickening to see, to be a part of, and the families blame me for not giving them parachutes.

[Annie's POV]

Today is the day of the Reaping. I've seen the tributes from Districts 12-5 get reaped; they all might stand a chance of winning. My name is in there at least 5 times, I can't remember, then if I was put down for tesserae, times that by the number of people in my household, you get the idea. I might be chosen. I go through my Reaping Day ritual, giving gifts to my family members and friends, visit the beach, relax on the sand until I have to leave and get ready for the reaping. I do my round of gift-giving, thinking all the while 'If it's me this year, and I don't come home, who will care? Who will lie weeping by the side of my coffin, as they bury me in the earth, performing our burial ritual? Who will bother? Who will remember me in ten years? What about in two years?' The answer is none. My family will move on, thinking of me only when they see the Hunger Games every year when they have their own families far in the future. I am the quietest, shyest, most invisible person in my family. They won't care. When I return home after relaxing on the beach, I find my reaping clothes laid out for me. I put them on, put my hair in it's usual curly style, and put a white carnation behind my ear, to symbolise all that may happen to me, and all that won't. I then prepare my little brother for his first reaping, for the daunting feeling that is sure to come, then with the rest of my family, I set off for the justice building, to have my life once again determined by the hand of one person, and a bowl full of slips of paper with names on.

[Finnick's POV]

It's almost time, time for two new people to be sent away from all they love, to fight to the death. They're about to start, they need me on the front of the Justice Building. This year, we have Deedee Georgiana for the escort. She is crazily happy all the time and the most annoying person I have ever met. Ever. She asked me to pass her a piece of paper earlier and I felt like choking her right then. She obviously knows what President Snow has made me. A slave to the Capitol women, unable to leave, unable to stop it. Forced to look like some kind of jerk, unable to keep my hands off married women. If only they knew the truth. I am a disgrace to my district, a disgrace to every person in Panem. And she enjoys watching me squirm at people touching me, even by accident, even the slightest touch, and she loves it. She is so... so... evil. And no one pays any attention. And no one should. I mean, there are more important things to do, right? Like kill twenty three children every year and make their family, friends and neighbours watch, for people's entertainment, for instance? Yeah, I thought so. Just another way the human race destroys itself.


	2. Chapter 2

The Finnick + Annie Story

By F. S Harpham

October 2012- 2012-10-26

[Annie's POV]

They are all younger than me so no one of them is in as many times as I am, and I won't let them take the tesserae. It's not right. But I'll take it. They mean everything to me. So I'll do it to protect them.

I'm here. I'm at the main square I'm ready. The reaping is in twenty minutes, so I should head there now. My siblings, they're younger, and I've just had my blood taken to make sure that I'm here. They are almost ready for the speeches and the video that come before the actual reaping itself. I'm shaking so hard I can feel my bones quivering inside my body. And then I see him. Finnick Odair. The guy who saved my life once. A long story which I automatically remember like it was yesterday.

It was a sunny day, a school holiday in the summer, and I decided to go to the beach. I was alone as no one wanted to come from my house and I didn't have many friends. I went down to the shore, and stripped down to my swimming costume, and strode confidently into the sea. I swam out quite far, until I couldn't even see the bottom of the sea any more. I was splashing about but it was soon time to be home. As I was swimming back to shore, both my legs caught on some sharp rocks they called 'The Shards', giving me two very deep and very big gashes on my legs. The blood from my leg was flowing like a river and I was about to pass out when suddenly, a strong arm was pulling me to shore, bandaging my legs with a what looked like a piece of clothing from the strange boy who saved me, to stop the heavy flow of blood from my leg, shaking me so my consciousness doesn't slip away forever. When my eyes wouldn't stop drifting shut, the guy picked me up quite easily and carried me to someplace warm where he shouted, "She's cut her legs on the Shards! She won't stay awake!" The voice was strong and I trusted it immediately, like the guy was definitely a good person, even though I had no proof of it. Then, while the guy was carrying me into another room, I blacked out.

When I resurfaced, I heard that same strong, trusted voice ask "Is she gonna be okay?" It sounded worried. I try to find a face for the voice but my mind comes up blank. Then I hear another man's voice assure him I'll be fine, I just need to let the wounds on my legs heal. I open my eyes and glance around the room and see the owner of the local apothecary treating my wounds. I look around again and find the mysterious person who saved me. Finnick Odair. The boy that lives in the house behind my mine. The captain of the swim team. The school It-Boy. Finnick Odair saved my life. Crap.

[Finnick POV]

There she is. In the third row. Annie. The girl who's life I saved. Who annoys the crap out of me. The girl who kinda hates me. I wonder how many times her name is in the huge glass Reaping ball. And she has siblings. She won't let them have tesserae, I'm sure of that; it's not in her nature to let her loved ones be put in danger. What do I do if she's reaped, pretend like nothing has happened even though I saved her life all those years ago? Say 'Hello' and let there be a huge awkward silence? Anything I do will be weird.

[Annie's POV]

He's looking at me. Finnick, I mean. Why? It's like he's glancing at me to check I'm still there, but it's not like I can just leave. Strange.

The Reaping is about to start. Our district escort, Deedee Georgiana, the most annoying person alive, is about to start and is walking to the microphone. I think to myself, 'This is it. In half an hour's time, I will either be on the Tribute Train or safe for one more year.' My siblings in the reaping have all been signed in and taken to their correct age groups for their genders. They won't be reaped. I can feel that they are safe. But me, I'm not so sure. Ugh, if I'm reaped it will be so awkward seeing Finnick again. What do I do if I'm reaped? Pretend he didn't save my life all those years ago? Or say 'Hello' and let there be a huge awkward silence? But, saying that, seeing Finnick Odair won't be my biggest problem if I am put in that situation. The Hunger Games will be. Deedee starts the ceremony now. "Welcome to the Reaping for the 70th Annual Hunger Games! Before we begin the reaping, there is a very special video all the way from the Capitol!"And someone plays a video that we see every year, always starting with 'War. Terrible War.' Always incriminating the districts of being instigators of horrible, heinous crimes. As if. When it's done Deedee says "That was very inspiring! Let's start the reaping!" It seems she is genuinely happy about sending two of the people in front of her; a boy and a girl, to fight to the death with twenty-two other people so only one person remains. Cow. She walks in that strange Capitol way to the reaping balls and says "Ladies first!" She shoves her hand inside the great glass orb, roots around and selects one. That white slip of paper with white tape can change any girl in this square's life. Hell, it can change anyone in District Four's life. I suddenly have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach; I know what will happen next before it does. "Annie Cresta."

The voice booms out across the square and every girl within a twenty metre radius turns and stares at me. I am escorted up onto the platform by some Peacekeepers, everyone staring. I get to the edge of the platform and Deedee comes to me and directs me- no, pushes me to the centre of the platform. I stand there, silent while she asks "Any volunteers to take Annie Cresta's place in the 70th Annual Hunger Games?" There is silence, just like I knew there would be. I can see the people who know me, who love me crying silent tears. My sister, ran into a boy's arms, the boy comforting her. If I survive, I'll kill her! She's only, what, fourteen? That's way too young. Any time for her is too young. Oh my god. I've just been sent to fight to the death with 23 other people and I'm worrying about my sister's dating life. Excuse me Annie, priorities! In the end, no one volunteers, so they move onto the boys to find my district partner. Deedee repeats the process of the selection and comes out with a piece of paper saying 'Blaze Underwood'. Again the slow walk to the platform is excruciating. Everyone stares at the deputy captain of the swim team, the second-in-command to the last Victor of the Hunger Games for District Four, Finnick Odair. Damn our swim team is unlucky. Blaze walks up and when they ask for any volunteers, everyone is silent. No voices speaking, no hands raised. Then when no one volunteers, Deedee tells Blaze and I to shake hands, and a jolt of electricity run through my arm, straight to my heart. Weird. I shrug it off and Deedee, Blaze and I enter the Justice Building for our goodbyes. We are followed by Finnick Odair and the previously unnoticed Mayor and his family. They look sad yet relieved it isn't one of their family. Well, good for them. And bad for me. I've seen the videos of the reaping for the tributes of district 5 – 12, they're all pretty tough and have a shot, even 12. I have no chance. Yet maybe I can help Blaze as much as I can so he can win for District Four this year. So a (mostly) innocent person doesn't have to die. And twenty-three others do. And I do count myself in that.

I step into one of the rooms in the unfamiliar building and after a few minutes, the Peacekeepers outside the doors let in a teary-eyed bunch of people. My family. They hug me, tell me to win, or at least try, to come home to them. They know this is probably their last conversation with me though. They tell me they love me, that they will get everyone in the district to donate money to help me if that's what it takes, that they would bankrupt themselves to save me, I tell them I will try, but don't kill yourselves trying to provide for me in the arena. Because it won't be enough. And they know it. The guards tell us to wrap it up, so I hug and kiss all of them on the cheek. Even my younger brother who hates any human contact let me say goodbye to him, knowing it will be the last time I see him. And then they leave. And hear them sobbing all the way home. Well, to the end of the corridor at least.

As I have no friends, no one else comes to see me and I go find Deedee to wait with her for Blaze to finish all his goodbyes. There are a lot. Then Finnick comes around the corner and just says something to the Peacekeepers watching me, who nod, and goes back where he came from. Another ten minutes, which seems like ten months, Blaze is ready. We then get into the car to take us to the Tribute Train. There are lots of Capitol photographers and members of the District Four public and they wave and say their last goodbyes to us, telling us we can do it. Which is unlikely. For me at least. Blaze is well, kind of muscular. Like a boxer. And he can throw spears, he has amazing accuracy. He can hit a target standing twenty-five meters away. We board the train and wave goodbye to our district. At least one of us isn't returning. At least one of us will be shipped home in a simple wooden box, with a simple ceremony in the cemetery reserved for tributes of the hunger games that they have in each district.

We are shown the parts of the train we are allowed to visit, our dining room, our private suites, the lounge carriage that Deedee, Finnick, Blaze and I will use as a common room, where any questions can be answered by them if we need them. They will also discuss strategies for us tributes in that room so if we need any survival tips we have to go find Finnick there. I'll be avoiding that room for as long as possible then. W are also showed where Deedee, Finnick and another victor called Mags's rooms are (Mags couldn't make the reaping due to a health problem apparently, personally I think she couldn't face it after Finnick's reaping, she's half his family) in case of emergency, and where the little patio on the end of the train is, if we need to have time to think. After the tour ends, I head to my suite and change out of my smart reaping clothes and change into one of the pretty Capitol dresses they have in the closet. I take my hair down from it's pretty updo and brush it through with the hairbrush on the dressing table. I walk through into the dining room and get a drink of water. I sit down and force myself to drink it, gulp by gulp, until no water is left. I never did like drinking water. I switch on the fancy capitol television and put on the video of today's reaping. I see myself realise it's me before it happens and so did Panem, but it doesn't matter now. I have to figure out how to live first. I hear someone behind me and find Blaze, stood behind me leaning against the wall in that way boy's do. He says "You look really pretty." and sits down next to me. He cringes at the part when they call his name out. I know, it's like it's happening again.


	3. Chapter 3

[A/N] Disclaimer: Me = Not Suzanne Collins, okay?

Thank you to those who reviewed! Any ideas please PM me, I have written up to entering the Training Centre. Thank you! :D ~Cesca

The Finnick + Annie Story

By Cesca Herondale Morgenstern 13

October 2012-2012-10-26

[Finnick's POV]

I totally jinxed it, didn't I? I mean, I was all 'it's gonna be so awkward if she's reaped' and BAM. She was reaped. I have ruined her life; in fact I've ended her life. She's only small, she is gonna die in the arena. Why do I always ruin things like people's lives, why never a cake, or some food, so God can spare people? I'm a wreck and I've basically been avoiding Annie. Because if by some freak of nature, she does survive, they'll do to her what President Snow has done to me. Be sold like a piece of meat. And I'm sorry for her.

Deedee has shown them around, and I went to see Mags earlier. She was... better. Better than five years ago. She's still pretty awesome though, she keeps making me loads of fishhooks from old earrings she finds in her jewellery box that have no pair. What she really needs for every year to not be carted off to the Capitol. That's what she needs to get better. Completely better. First though, before I take my problem to President Snow, I need to figure out what I'm going to do about Annie. Should I coach her? Shoul I avoid her? I'm gonna be her best friend as soon as she enters that arena, she'll need my help a lot as I control the parachutes. Oh god, why do things have to be so confusing?

I walk to the dining room, hoping to see the reapings for the other districts but instead I find Blaze being a total D-Bag by try to hit on Annie, like he doesn't already have fifteen (#TaylorSwiftReference) girlfriends back home. All of which I am sorry to say, I helped him get. There's Amy, Sarah, Deanne, Lucy, Hannah, Phoebe, Charlotte, Bethany, Zara, Georgia, Eve, Hollie, Lottie Megan and Rosie. God, I need to get a life. I even saw him hitting on Deedee earlier. Deedee! About whom I have complained to him many times. Well, he would do anything that moves. I will help him though. In the arena I mean. I can't kill him just because he's a stupid d-bag. I'm not that stupid. I don't even get why I'm so bothered. I mean, I wasn't when I helped him get all his girlfriends. Just get over it Finn!

That was my brain exploding.

[Annie's POV]

Well. Tha was weird. Blaze came and well, hit on me. But I know something he doesn't. All fifteen of his girlfriends know what's going on (i.e. they are all his girlfriend) and are going to dump him when they are all interviewed for the games along with his family. And people will think he's a heartless cheat and not sponsor him and I'll get loads. They told me at the station. I feel bad they are effectively murdering him, but I'm not stupid. No, that'll just be my little secret.

[Finnick's POV]

After I saw Blaze and Annie flirting with each other, I went to my room and just... stared at the ceiling above my bed. And I did that until midnight. Then I took a leaf out of Haymitch Abernathy's book. And grabbed a Scotch. It wasn't pleasant drinkning it but I wasn't drinking t for the taste. I just felt... ugh. I knew I'd pay later, but I didn't care. It kind of helped me feel better. Sort of. After that I went to my room and passed out on the floor. Like, right in the middle of the floor. Then, what felt like 5 minutes later, there was a knock, which sounded like a boulder hitting my door. "Go away!" I say and I immediately regret it because it is so loud it makes my head split. Whoever it is comes in anyway. "Dude, what happened to you?" Blaze says. I tell what to do. He laughs and says, "You look worse than when you came out the Games!" When he sees I'm not smiling, but glaring at him, he says " Sorry, bad joke." He's one of the few eople that were my genuine friend after the Games. I'm 19 and have five, maybe six real friends. And I still can't believe they failed me at school just so I can stay and lead their stupid swim team. I had a 4.0 GPA, was a model student and valedictorian. Well, at least I'm not their half the year, as I'm 'working away'. Oh my god, I just said I'd rather be in the Capitol trying to help D4 tributes kill people. But the sad thing is, it's true.

When I finally take some fancy Capitol hangover medicine, I go to the breakfast room and see Deedee and Annie have already started. They're eating some delicious smelling blueberry pancakes with Nutella(#NerdyFandomGirlReference). I mumble a brief hello to them. Was it me or was Annie laughing, like when you really aren't supposed to, like when you're in trouble? Strange. I mean it's not like she and Blaze had a private joke about me, was it? No, because that would mean that they are friends. And Blaze doesn't do friends that are girls. He only does girlfriends. But Annie isn't his girlfriend. She could though. She's pretty enough. Not that you have to be pretty to have a boyfriend. But she isn't ugly. She just wouldn't want to. Date him I mean. Oh god, there it is again, wait, she's not laughing at me! She's laughing at me and he has no idea! Blaze is a good guy and all, but he's got the intelligence of the pet rock I had in kindergarten. I am feeling slightly better that I'm not the only one who laughs at Blaze in private.

[Annie's POV]

I swear, Blaze is gonna go out of his mind when the girls break up with him. If he survives long enough.

It's only two more stops until we are travelling to the Capitol. Then I'll begin training. Great. One on One time alone with Finnick Odair. Most girls in school would die to be in my place right now, literally. I've seen him around at times but I'm never alone when I see him. I guess... I want to thank him for saving my life all that time ago. Even though my imminent death is fast approaching anyway. In fact I'll go find him now. Ugh. I sound fake anywhere, even in my head. I'm doing it to clear my conscience anyway, so there. I walk out my door and down the corridor. I say hello to Blaze in the Lounge and carry on walking. Past Blaze's room, past Deedee and Mags' suites, and knock on the last door in the corridor. Finnick's room, I note, is the furthest from mine. I knock on the door and a voice from within calls "It's open!" and I open the door and step inside Finnick Odair's private quarters. My sister would be dying right now, I think. Finnick pops his head around the corner coming from what sounds like a game room. He sees me and welcomes me inside. "Hi Annie. Come in, there's a couch through there if you want to sit down." I follow him through to the little television room off the game room. I sit on the couch he pointed out to me and he asks me "Um, what do you need?"

"Um, nothing, I just wanted to, uh, thank you for saving my life six years ago." I blurted out and I felt my face flush red. I sound like such a dork! He takes in what I've said and says "Your welcome, I guess. I mean its fine. You probably would have done the same. Except I wouldn't be stupid enough to forget where the Shards are and cut both my legs on them." He adds jokingly. I can tell he's teasing me now. "Thanks! At least my voice doesn't go really high-pitched when I take someone to the apothecary because they are losing lots of blood form their legs!" I retort back and we both start laughing, me on the couch and him on the chair across from it. Which is better than avoiding each other at all costs, at least. Then the laughter dies down, and I just say "Well, thank you, again. I think, because without your help I wouldn't be here today. Wait, that came out wrong, I mean I wouldn't have lived this long."

He just laughed and said, "It's fine, honestly. And this is Mentor Finnick speaking now, but have you thought about what you are actually gonna do in the games? I mean like a strategy? Because I have no idea what you're thinking, but I think you have a chance. If you go with the Johanna Mason method. She's actually a buddy of mine. I could get pointers if you want, or we could do something else. You have lots of potential." While I listen to this I actually, for a second, believe I have a chance. But then I remembered who I am. The smallest person in school, never mind my class. I also am the weakest; I can barely lift my 3 year old brother up. So I just duck my head and say, "I've sort of got a plan. Kind of. I don't know. I'm just gonna try and help Blaze as much as I can, even if it takes me sacrificing myself in the process, if that helps District Four have another Victor, I'll do it. 'District Pride' and all that chizz. I mean, everyone dies at some point, mine will just come slightly premature, right?" Finnick just stares at me in shock, as if he can't believe what he's hearing. I just sit there. Doing nothing. And he just processes the pessimistic words that just left my mouth. I don't even understand why he's so bothered. I mean, he wasn't so bothered about my happiness when he told the entire school how he saved my life after I cut my legs even when I specifically told him not to and then everyone said, 'Ahhh, a District Four girl who can't swim' when they know perfectly well I used to be one of the best swimmers in the District. It doesn't matter now. He knows what happened and so do I. It's why things are- were so awkward.


End file.
